author
William L. (William Lewis) Ilgen
1862–1942
Best known for a practical early-20th-century guide to blacksmithing, this Chicago forging instructor wrote with the clear, hands-on tone of someone teaching at the anvil, not from a distance.
1 Audiobook
Forge work
by William L. (William Lewis) Ilgen
About the author
Born in 1862, William Lewis Ilgen is chiefly remembered as the author of Forge Work, a manual on forging and shop practice first published in 1912. The book presents blacksmithing as a teachable craft, with step-by-step instruction aimed at students and teachers.
The title page identifies him as a forging instructor at Crane Technical High School in Chicago, Illinois, which helps explain the book’s practical, classroom-ready style. Forge Work was issued with editorial revision by educator Charles F. Moore and has remained accessible through public-domain editions, giving modern readers a window into early industrial arts education.
Ilgen died in 1942. Little biographical detail is easy to confirm online beyond his teaching role and his authorship, but the surviving record of Forge Work suggests a teacher focused on useful skills, clear explanation, and careful shop training.